The Curse of the Alpha

ea

me passes, but it feels

ght behind me. I imagine him reaching from the shadows, drag

llen branch and the hideous amount of rain

ew, and mercifully, I can s

ade i

on her door. Glancing over my

nd growing puddles. There is no sign of an anc

omb to my home, it's only a mat

door, gasping at

wonderfully warm living area. "I need you t

quickly locking the door beh

a concerned eye. Last time she saw me I was sinking in

out, trying to regain my

er neck, fumbling with h

er carpet, and I'm still covered in mud. If Hazel hadn't

" I tell her, pointing in the general di

about him, and whatever it is

actly. She doesn't get emotional when she is faced with a

ke my entire world

s open a litt

each other as a claim. Especially Alpha's," Hazel explain

e," I grit out, back

letting it drop in a sopping heap onto the ground. W

here is he now?

on strength." I hope he is still there. I don'

efore making her way to her bookshelf. It is a large, magnificent thin

he same as ours, Meara," she reminds me,

g them tightly. "You need to tell me everything y

ook out from the bottom shelf, heaving it to the table

" she mutters, brush

iting on the ed

c, considering our own family history. There should be somethi

jabbing her finger

kes a great deal of squinting to make sense of the illus

accurate...well, I suppose you do

with freakish tattoos." This version of him s

power and the experience

cking in." Hazel draws her finger under the lines, s

ot going to be able to concentrate on

to be two Pack's. His father ruled over one for a time befo

the othe

common ancestor, just like his Pack," Haz

now what

ot like I have a choice in the matter. But how will he see it? I can't i

uldn't

the war e

rom there, his Pack was mostly slaughtered, and those who survived fled

pell, she familiarised he

o sad," I

powerful for this world, Meara. And every book I've r

members of our Pack...the v

person is reliant on the perspectives of others. It's not like I want

think they warred for no reason,"

ging beyond. The world I live in has s

to be an Alpha's mate, who may very we

dragging another chair

d him from a cruel fate," she says softly. She's t

gh my mind. There is no

e door has both Hazel an

whisper, trying not to aler

s tightly, sl

you far away from here with his magic," she warns

st the side wall out of view from the door. If

e door a crack

innocent about the way she clings to the door. If Sire looks ha

ice is muted by the wall and the cra

terrified. What if he gets

ritation, like her sleep was interrupted b

se before Sir

dn't te

makes to close the door, but I see a hand suddenly reach out, grabbi

er. She is her

e door, causing Hazel to stumble back. She

ns the room, his g

. He's tall and broad, taking up so much space in this small cabin. He ev

shirt is missing. My eyes rove over the muscled plane

blue eyes flicker be

t of me, ready to launch in

t of protest is cut off as the world around me starts shifting, my body feeling

hen I

reality as I fall through the darkness, my eyes squ

he ground, but with much le

although I'm quickly yanked back up to sta

Hazel's cab

rain is gone, although all the foliage still weeps. We can't be far from home, although it's

I gasp out, yanking my

of its roof caved in. Plants burst out from beneath the dilapidated deck, through the cr

ells me simply, as if he's not

has been

a magnificent manor that rears up through the canopy of the forest. The l

a step back, struggling to und

magic remained in my

. It makes me shudder, wondering how long this place

hid t

that I figured was conspiring against my own members. I want

wn toward the towering front d

me to stay here, Sire.

pau

e shakes the tension from his strong shoulders. Then, he

time to start your

I can see why he wanted to live his life here, t

All the stories about him, of wha

stopping until there is h

r you think I am. And then I shall return you," he says. It'

my fingers bundli

ou, mate, you shall feel the pull of the mat